Lisa Tumlin, founder and CEO of The Springs, poses for a portrait on Thursday, June 8, in Chattanooga, Tenn.If you go
› What: Hope for The Springs.› When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday.› Where: Barking Legs Theatre, 1307 Dodds Ave.› Tickets: $25.› Phone: 423-322-1449.
Lisa Garrett Tumlin is a 52-year-old wife and mother who works full time as a telephone operator at Memorial Hospital and part time for a local nonprofit. Earlier this year, she added another item to her list of responsibilities by opening a short-term shelter for homeless people who have HIV/AIDS.
It’s known as The Springs, a three-bedroom, fully furnished, hardwood-floor haven in Highland Park. It’s transitional housing equipped with people like Tumlin who point residents to employment, housing and other resources they need to get on their feet.
“You come here, you get yourself together, and you move on,” says Tumlin.
For the past six months, she has used private and corporate donations and volunteers to operate the home. Funding with local donations, without using federal grants, allows her to help people with felony records and those with drug addictions, clients she’ll take on if they’re willing to change.